This paper presents a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of the scholarly footprint of ChatGPT, focusing on the early outbreak phase from November 2022 to early June 2023. Using data from the Scopus database, 533 relevant articles were analyzed to understand the evolution of research output, citation patterns, collaborative networks, application domains, and future research directions related to ChatGPT. The study reveals prominent publication venues, influential authors, and countries contributing to ChatGPT research. Collaborative networks among researchers and institutions are visualized, highlighting patterns of co-authorship. The application domains of ChatGPT, such as customer support and content generation, are examined. The study also identifies emerging keywords and potential research areas for future exploration. The methodology includes data extraction, bibliometric analysis using various indicators, and visualization techniques such as Sankey diagrams. The analysis provides valuable insights into ChatGPT's early footprint in academia and offers researchers guidance for further advancements. This study stimulates discussions, collaborations, and innovations to enhance ChatGPT's capabilities and impact across domains. The study finds that ChatGPT research has seen a significant surge in scholarly publications, with 533 articles produced within six months. The high collaboration rate of 88.91% among authors suggests a strong community of researchers working on ChatGPT, sharing ideas and resources to advance the field. The analysis reveals that the United States is the most prolific contributor with the highest number of publications and citations. The top journals in ChatGPT research include Annals of Biomedical Engineering, Nature, and Library Hi Tech News. The most cited documents include editorials and notes discussing the ethical implications of attributing authorship to AI language models. The top authors in the field include Wang F. Y. from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Wu H. from Duke University. The analysis also highlights the importance of artificial intelligence, human, language, and chatbot as key keywords in ChatGPT research. The study concludes that ChatGPT research has significant theoretical, methodological, practical, societal, and ethical implications, and future research should explore the societal and ethical aspects of AI, as well as the long-term impact of early researchers and journals in the field. The study also acknowledges the limitations of bibliometric analysis, including the potential for bias and the need for further research to understand the future evolution of ChatGPT research.This paper presents a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of the scholarly footprint of ChatGPT, focusing on the early outbreak phase from November 2022 to early June 2023. Using data from the Scopus database, 533 relevant articles were analyzed to understand the evolution of research output, citation patterns, collaborative networks, application domains, and future research directions related to ChatGPT. The study reveals prominent publication venues, influential authors, and countries contributing to ChatGPT research. Collaborative networks among researchers and institutions are visualized, highlighting patterns of co-authorship. The application domains of ChatGPT, such as customer support and content generation, are examined. The study also identifies emerging keywords and potential research areas for future exploration. The methodology includes data extraction, bibliometric analysis using various indicators, and visualization techniques such as Sankey diagrams. The analysis provides valuable insights into ChatGPT's early footprint in academia and offers researchers guidance for further advancements. This study stimulates discussions, collaborations, and innovations to enhance ChatGPT's capabilities and impact across domains. The study finds that ChatGPT research has seen a significant surge in scholarly publications, with 533 articles produced within six months. The high collaboration rate of 88.91% among authors suggests a strong community of researchers working on ChatGPT, sharing ideas and resources to advance the field. The analysis reveals that the United States is the most prolific contributor with the highest number of publications and citations. The top journals in ChatGPT research include Annals of Biomedical Engineering, Nature, and Library Hi Tech News. The most cited documents include editorials and notes discussing the ethical implications of attributing authorship to AI language models. The top authors in the field include Wang F. Y. from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Wu H. from Duke University. The analysis also highlights the importance of artificial intelligence, human, language, and chatbot as key keywords in ChatGPT research. The study concludes that ChatGPT research has significant theoretical, methodological, practical, societal, and ethical implications, and future research should explore the societal and ethical aspects of AI, as well as the long-term impact of early researchers and journals in the field. The study also acknowledges the limitations of bibliometric analysis, including the potential for bias and the need for further research to understand the future evolution of ChatGPT research.